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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009
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House Cat Hisstory Traced to 5 Mideast Matriarchs

Felines chose domestic life 10,000 years ago

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(Newser) – The origin of 600 million house cats has been traced to five matriarchal lines in the Mideast, where the first wildcats moved close to families some 10,000 years ago and earned their keep eating vermin,  the New York Times reports. House cats share striking DNA similarities with wildcats in Saudi Arabia, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

Cats became particularly useful when humans first started raising wheat and barley and needed the bold wildcats who moved into villages to keep down the rat and mice population, scientists speculate. Domestication has proven to be an extremely successful survival strategy for the animals, whose population continues to increase while other cat species are faced with extinction.

An Ocelot cat display is seen at the Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge visitor center near Alamo, Texas, Wednesday, May 9, 2007. Wildlife enthusiasts fear this site could be spoiled by the fences and adjacent roads the U.S. government plans to erect along the Mexican border to keep out illegal...
An Ocelot cat display is seen at the Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge visitor center near Alamo, Texas, Wednesday, May 9, 2007. Wildlife enthusiasts fear this site could be spoiled by the fences and adjacent...   (Associated Press)
Russ, a male barn cat, stands on top of a fence after a heavy snowfall near Cremona, Alta., 100 kilometers (62 miles) northwest of Calgary, Monday, May 21, 2007. Tuesday's forecast calls for a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 15C (32F). (AP PHOTO/CP, Jeff McIntosh)
Russ, a male barn cat, stands on top of a fence after a heavy snowfall near Cremona, Alta., 100 kilometers (62 miles) northwest of Calgary, Monday, May 21, 2007. Tuesday's forecast calls for a mix of...   (Associated Press)
A cat sun itself in a window, enjoying warm spring weather in Belgrade, Serbia, Friday, May 4, 2007. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
A cat sun itself in a window, enjoying warm spring weather in Belgrade, Serbia, Friday, May 4, 2007. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)   (Associated Press)
Momma the cat takes in the view through a picture window at Ron's Auto Sales following a spring storm that dumped several inches of heavy, wet snow, Friday, April 13, 2007, in Windham, Maine. Another serious storm is expected to hit the region on Sunday. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Momma the cat takes in the view through a picture window at Ron's Auto Sales following a spring storm that dumped several inches of heavy, wet snow, Friday, April 13, 2007, in Windham, Maine. Another...   (Associated Press)
A cat shelters itself from the rain on the tire of an SUV in Miami, Thursday, April, 12, 2007. (AP photo/Alan Diaz)
A cat shelters itself from the rain on the tire of an SUV in Miami, Thursday, April, 12, 2007. (AP photo/Alan Diaz)   (Associated Press)
This undated photo provided by the journal Science shows the wildcat, Felis silvestris lybica, which was trapped in Israel as part of the author's research into the origin of cat domestication. Cats similar to this one were the likely ancestor of the domestic cat. (AP Photo/Science)
This undated photo provided by the journal Science shows the wildcat, Felis silvestris lybica, which was trapped in Israel as part of the author's research into the origin of cat domestication. Cats similar...   (Associated Press)
A cat stretches on a glass door in the animal shelter in Berlin Tuesday, June 26, 2007. The new animal home in the German capital is one of the largest and most modern institutions of this kind worldwide. Every year, about 12,000 animals in difficulties are rescued by the...
A cat stretches on a glass door in the animal shelter in Berlin Tuesday, June 26, 2007. The new animal home in the German capital is one of the largest and most modern institutions of this kind worldwide....   (Associated Press)
A kitten of a Jungle Cat (Felis chaus) sleeps on a gunny sack after it was found by policemen in Mumbai, India, Monday, June 11, 2007. Three kittens, barely a week old, were found by policemen in suburban Mumbai and handed over to the wildlife officials. (AP Photo/Gautam Singh)
A kitten of a Jungle Cat (Felis chaus) sleeps on a gunny sack after it was found by policemen in Mumbai, India, Monday, June 11, 2007. Three kittens, barely a week old, were found by policemen in suburban...   (Associated Press)
A kitten of a Jungle Cat (Felis chaus) sleeps on a gunny sack after it was found by policemen in Mumbai, India, Monday, June 11, 2007. Three kittens, barely a week old, were found by policemen in suburban Mumbai and handed over to the wildlife officials. (AP Photo/Gautam Singh)
A kitten of a Jungle Cat (Felis chaus) sleeps on a gunny sack after it was found by policemen in Mumbai, India, Monday, June 11, 2007. Three kittens, barely a week old, were found by policemen in suburban...   (Associated Press)
Cat
Cat   (Associated Press)
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